Punta Gorda man accused of purchasing narcotics from dark web

PUNTA GORDA, Fla. —

A man accused of drug possession was arrested by the Punta Gorda Police Department and federal agents on Wednesday after officers say he got drugs delivered to his home via the United States Postal Service.

According to the arrest report, the Punta Gorda Police Department Special Operations Unit was contacted by United States Postal Inspectors on Dec. 10. The inspectors informed officers that they intercepted a package after a K9 unit alerted for possible narcotics.

The package was set to be shipped to a Punta Gorda residence on Airport Road, with the recipient being Spencer Chase, 28. On Dec. 12, a search warrant was obtained for the package, where 1.1 grams of cocaine were found.

On Jan. 13, another package was intercepted by inspectors for the same address. Another positive alert from a K9 unit was present, and an executed search warrant found 26 grams of methamphetamine.

On Jan. 16, another package was intercepted by inspectors for the same address, where an executed search warrant found 22.3 grams of methamphetamine.

According to officers, all narcotics tested yielded positive results. In total, 1.1 grams of cocaine and 52 grams of methamphetamine were found.

Officers say they then devised a plan to deliver the packages to Chase. A federal agent delivered the three intercepted packages to his residence, where they say that he took them into his home and didn't report the narcotics inside.

Officers arrested Chase and a search warrant on his home was executed. While under arrest, officers say Chase told them that he was "not a trafficker because I do not sell or give or do any kind of dealing."

Officers say that Chase told officers that he found the narcotics via the dark web and that he receives illegal contraband fairly often.

Chase reportedly told officers that he purchased the drugs for "something to help me get through the day."

What was found in Chase's home

According to the arrest report, the search warrant on Chase's home found the delivered narcotics packages on his bed, along with:

• 2.5 round yellow pills
• 1 red gummy bear (individually packed)
• 1.75 blue Xanax bars
• 15 white Xanax bars
• 16 blue and white Xanax bars
• 1 bag of a gray/blue powdery substance (tested positive for 3.75 grams of heroin)
• 1 rolled up $1 bill
• 1 credit card with a gray/blue powdery substance on it
• 1 orange dish with a gray/blue powdery substance on it
• 2 bags with a gray/blue powdery residue inside

During the execution of the search warrant, Officers say they found Chase's computer, which had an open, active dark web browser on the screen.

Chase was charged with possession of cocaine, two counts of trafficking methamphetamine, two counts of possession of a controlled substance for the heroin and Xanax and possession of drug paraphernalia.

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